The present invention relates to a webbing insertion member, such as a deflection fitting or shoulder anchor, for a shoulder webbing of a seat belt device.
As well known in the art, a seat belt device is installed in a high-speed vehicle, such as automobile and aircraft, for protecting an occupant by means of a webbing. For example, as for a seat belt device for a front seat of an automobile, the webbing is hooked by a deflection fitting or shoulder anchor disposed on a B-pillar of the automobile.
A deflection fitting of a known type comprises a plate-like metal body made of metal, a slip piece attached to the metal body, and a synthetic resin mold covering the metal body and the slip piece together.
The metal body has a bolt hole formed in an upper portion thereof for installation to the B-pillar and a webbing through opening formed in a lower portion thereof.
The slip piece has a groove in which an edge portion of the through opening is fitted, and a curved surface for guiding the webbing.
In a state that the edge portion of the webbing through opening is covered by the slip piece, the synthetic resin mold is formed by insert molding, thereby manufacturing a deflection fitting. The synthetic resin may be polyamide, such as nylon.
The deflection fitting employing such a slip piece has a problem that the slip piece easily slides off or comes off the metal body due to adverse factors, such as vibration, when the metal body with the slip piece is set in a mold for injection molding, especially in case of using an automatic molding apparatus.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a webbing insertion member with a structure for fixing a slip piece and a metal body and preventing the slip piece from sliding off the metal body even with adverse factors, such as vibration.
A webbing insertion member or shoulder anchor of the present invention has an opening through which a webbing is inserted. The webbing insertion member comprises a metal body formed with a through opening, a slip piece attached to an edge of the through opening, and a molding resin for fixing the slip piece to the metal body. In the webbing insertion member, one of the metal body and the slip piece has a first engaging member or convexity thereon, and the other of the metal body and the slip piece has a second engaging member, i.e. concavity or hole, engaging the first engaging member.
In the webbing insertion member of the present invention, since the convexity formed on one of the metal body and the slip piece is fitted in the concavity or hole formed in the other one, and the convexity is designed to hardly come off the concavity, there is no possibility that the slip piece slides off or comes off the metal body even with adverse factors, such as vibration, after the slip piece is attached to the metal body until the resin molding is completed.